Table 1.
Characteristics of women by feeding method at baseline delivery (n=344)
| Women who did not initiate breastfeeding (n=111) *Mean (SD) or **% (N) |
Women who initiated breastfeeding (n=233) Mean (SD) or % (N) |
|
|---|---|---|
| Gestation at baseline (weeks)* | 32.5 (5.3) | 31.7 (5.9) |
| Age (years)* | 26.6 (6.2) | 29.6 (5.4) |
| Years since leaving school* | 15.9 (2.8) | 17.9 (1.8) |
| Relationship status** | ||
| Single | 22.5 (25) | 5.2 ( 12) |
| Married | 29.7 (33) | 55.8 (130) |
| With partner | 46.8 (52) | 38.6 (90) |
| Other | 0.0 ( 0) | 0.4 ( 1) |
| Missing | 0.9 ( 1) | 0.0 ( 0) |
| Living status** | ||
| On own | 17.1 (19) | 2.6 ( 6) |
| With husband or partner | 58.6 (65) | 89.3 (208) |
| With parents | 15.3 (17) | 5.2 (12) |
| Other | 6.3 (7) | 1.3 ( 3) |
| Missing | 2.7 (3) | 1.7 ( 4) |
| Parity** | ||
| First child | 45.0 (50) | 54.5 (127) |
| Second child | 30.6 (34) | 29.2 ( 68) |
| Third child or more | 21.6 (24) | 12.5 ( 29) |
| Missing | 2.7 ( 3) | 3.9 ( 9) |
| Previous breastfeeding experience | ||
| Primiparous | 47.7 (53) | 58.4 (136) |
| Parous—no previous breastfeeding experience | 43.2 (48) | 5.2 (12) |
| Parous—previous breastfeeding experience | 9.0 (10) | 36.5 (85) |
| Missing | 0.0 ( 0) | 0.0 ( 0) |
| SIMD quintile** | ||
| Quintile 1 (most deprived) | 47.7 (53) | 30.5 (71) |
| Quintile 2 | 20.7 (23) | 10.3 (24) |
| Quintile 3 | 8.1 ( 9) | 12.4 (29) |
| Quintile 4 | 15.3 (17) | 30.9 (72) |
| Quintile 5 (most affluent) | 7.2 ( 8) | 15.9 (37) |
| Missing | 0.9 ( 1) | 0.0 (0) |
| Occupations** | ||
| Higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations | 24.3 (27) | 60.1 (140) |
| Intermediate occupations | 16.2 (18) | 12.0 (28) |
| Routine and manual occupations | 18.9 (21) | 11.6 (27) |
| Not in paid employment | 34.2 (38) | 15.5 (36) |
| Missing | 6.3 (7) | 0.9 ( 2) |
| Total IIFAS score | 49.8 (6.29) | 62.8 (7.46) |
| TPB score 1: attitude to breastfeeding | 2.6 (0.76) | 4.2 (0.68) |
| TPB score 2: subjective norm | 2.2 (0.3) | 3.3 (1.0) |
| TPB score 3: perceived behavioural control | 2.6 (0.84) | 3.8 (0.76) |
| TPB score 4: intention to breastfeed† | 1.7 (0.96) | 4.4 (0.96) |
| TPB score 4: intention to breastfeed categorical (% (number)‡ | ||
| No breastfeeding intended | 60.4 (67) | 3.0 ( 7) |
| Undecided | 38.7 (43) | 45.1 (105) |
| Definite breastfeeding intended | 0.0 (0) | 51.9 (121) |
| Missing | 0.9 (1) | 0.0 ( 0) |
†On a scale of 1–5.
‡1, no breastfeeding intended; 2–4, undecided; 5, definite breastfeeding intended.
IIFAS, Iowa Infant Feeding Assessment Scale; TPB, Theory of Planned Behaviour.